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Poultry Science Mar 2015The US egg industry is exploring alternative housing systems for laying hens. However, limited published research related to cage-free aviary systems and enriched colony... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
The US egg industry is exploring alternative housing systems for laying hens. However, limited published research related to cage-free aviary systems and enriched colony cages exists related to production, egg quality, and hen nutrition. The laying hen's nutritional requirements and resulting productivity are well established with the conventional cage system, but diminutive research is available in regards to alternative housing systems. The restrictions exist with limited availability of alternative housing systems in research settings and the considerable expense for increased bird numbers in a replicate due to alternative housing system design. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to evaluate the impact of nutrient and energy intake on production and egg quality parameters from laying hens housed at a commercial facility. Lohmann LSL laying hens were housed in three systems: enriched colony cage, cage-free aviary, and conventional cage at a single commercial facility. Daily production records were collected along with dietary changes during 15 production periods (28-d each). Eggs were analyzed for shell strength, shell thickness, Haugh unit, vitelline membrane properties, and egg solids each period. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) coupled with a principal components analysis (PCA) approach was utilized to assess the impact of nutritional changes on production parameters and monitored egg quality factors. The traits of hen-day production and mortality had a response only in the PCA 2 direction. This finds that as house temperature and Met intake increases, there is an inflection point at which hen-day egg production is negatively effected. Dietary changes more directly influenced shell parameters, vitelline membrane parameters, and egg total solids as opposed to laying hen housing system. Therefore, further research needs to be conducted in controlled research settings on laying hen nutrient and energy intake in the alternative housing systems and resulting impact on egg quality measures.
Topics: Animal Husbandry; Animal Welfare; Animals; Chickens; Eating; Eggs; Energy Intake; Housing, Animal; Ovum
PubMed: 25630672
DOI: 10.3382/ps/peu078 -
Zoological Science Feb 2021Foam nests of frogs are natural biosurfactants that contain potential compounds for biocompatible materials, Drug Delivery System (DDS), emulsifiers, and bioremediation....
Foam nests of frogs are natural biosurfactants that contain potential compounds for biocompatible materials, Drug Delivery System (DDS), emulsifiers, and bioremediation. To elucidate the protein components in the foam nests of , which is an endemic Japanese frog species commonly seen during the rainy season, we performed amino acid analysis, SDS-PAGE electrophoresis, and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry using intact foam nests. Many proteins were detected in these foam nests, ranging from a few to several hundred kDa, with both essential and non-essential amino acids. Next, we performed transcriptome analysis using a next-generation sequencer on total RNAs extracted from oviducts before egg-laying. The soluble foam nests were purified by LC-MS and analyzed using Edman degradation, and the identified N-terminal sequences were matched to the transcriptome data. Four proteins that shared significant sequence homologies with extracellular superoxide dismutase of , vitelline membrane outer layer protein 1 homolog of , ranasmurfin of , and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin of were identified. Prior to purification of the foam nests, they were treated with both a reducing reagent and an alkylating agent, and LC-MS/ MS analyses were performed. We identified 22 proteins in the foam nests that were homologous with proteinase inhibitors, ribonuclease, glycoproteins, antimicrobial protein and barrier, immunoglobulin-binding proteins, glycoprotein binding protein, colored protein, and keratin-associated protein. The presence of these proteins in foam nests, along with small molecules, such as carbohydrates and sugars, would protect them against microbial and parasitic attack, oxidative stress, and a shortage of moisture.
Topics: Animals; Anura; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Nesting Behavior; Oviducts; Proteome
PubMed: 33639713
DOI: 10.2108/zs200113 -
The International Journal of... 2016MGP (Matrix Gla Protein) is an extracellular matrix vitamin K dependent protein previously identified as a physiological inhibitor of calcification and shown to be well...
MGP (Matrix Gla Protein) is an extracellular matrix vitamin K dependent protein previously identified as a physiological inhibitor of calcification and shown to be well conserved among vertebrates during evolution. MGP is involved in other mechanisms such as TGF-β and BMP activity, and a proposed modulator of cell-matrix interactions. MGP is expressed early in vertebrate development although its role has not been clarified. Previous work in the chicken embryo found MGP localization predominantly in the aorta and aortic valve base, but no data is available earlier in development. Here we examined MGP expression pattern using whole-mount in situ hybridization and histological sectioning during the initial stages of chick development. MGP was first detected at HH10 in the head and in the forming dorsal aorta. At the moment of the onset of blood circulation, MGP was expressed additionally in the venous plexus which will remodel into the vitelline arteries. By E2.25, it is clear that the vitelline arteries are MGP positive. MGP expression progresses centrifugally throughout the area vasculosa of the yolk sac. Between stages HH17 and HH19 MGP is seen in the dorsal aorta, heart, notochord, nephric duct, roof plate, vitelline arteries and in the yolk sac, beneath main arterial branches and in the vicinity of several vessels and venules. MGP expression persists in these areas at least until E4.5. These data suggest that MGP expression could be associated with cell migration and differentiation and to the onset of angiogenesis in the developing chick embryo. This data has biomedical relevance by pointing to the potential use of chick embryo explants to study molecules involved in artery calcification.
Topics: Animals; Aorta; Aortic Valve; Avian Proteins; Body Patterning; Calcium-Binding Proteins; Chick Embryo; Extracellular Matrix Proteins; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Head; Heart; In Situ Hybridization; Myocardium; Notochord; Time Factors; Veins; Vitelline Membrane; Yolk Sac; Matrix Gla Protein
PubMed: 26934291
DOI: 10.1387/ijdb.150365jb -
Cells Dec 2021The vitelline layer (VL) of a sea urchin egg is an intricate meshwork of glycoproteins that intimately ensheathes the plasma membrane. During fertilization, the VL plays...
The vitelline layer (VL) of a sea urchin egg is an intricate meshwork of glycoproteins that intimately ensheathes the plasma membrane. During fertilization, the VL plays important roles. Firstly, the receptors for sperm reside on the VL. Secondly, following cortical granule exocytosis, the VL is elevated and transformed into the fertilization envelope (FE), owing to the assembly and crosslinking of the extruded materials. As these two crucial stages involve the VL, its alteration was expected to affect the fertilization process. In the present study, we addressed this question by mildly treating the eggs with a reducing agent, dithiothreitol (DTT). A brief pretreatment with DTT resulted in partial disruption of the VL, as judged by electron microscopy and by a novel fluorescent polyamine probe that selectively labelled the VL. The DTT-pretreated eggs did not elevate the FE but were mostly monospermic at fertilization. These eggs also manifested certain anomalies at fertilization: (i) compromised Ca signaling, (ii) blocked translocation of cortical actin filaments, and (iii) impaired cleavage. Some of these phenotypic changes were reversed by restoring the DTT-exposed eggs in normal seawater prior to fertilization. Our findings suggest that the FE is not the decisive factor preventing polyspermy and that the integrity of the VL is nonetheless crucial to the egg's fertilization response.
Topics: Actins; Animals; Calcium; Dithiothreitol; Embryonic Development; Fertilization; Ovum; Sea Urchins
PubMed: 34944081
DOI: 10.3390/cells10123573 -
Comparative Biochemistry and... Dec 2021Ovarian development is a complex physiological process for crustacean reproduction that is divided into the oogonium proliferation stage, endogenous vitellogenic stage,...
Ovarian development is a complex physiological process for crustacean reproduction that is divided into the oogonium proliferation stage, endogenous vitellogenic stage, exogenous vitellogenic stage, and oocyte maturation stage. Proteomics analysis offers a feasible approach to reveal the proteins involved in the complex physiological processes of any organism. Therefore, this study performed a comparative proteomics analysis of the ovary and hepatopancreas at three key ovarian stages, including stages I (oogonium proliferation), II (endogenous vitellogenesis) and IV (exogenous vitellogenesis), of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis using a label-free quantitative approach. The results showed that a total of 2,224 proteins were identified, and some key proteins related to ovarian development and nutrition metabolism were differentially expressed. The 26 key proteins were mainly involved in the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway (UPP), cyclic AMP-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway during oogenesis. Fifteen differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were found to participate in vitellogenesis and oocyte development, such as vitelline membrane outer layer protein 1 homolog, vitellogenin, vitellogenin receptor, heat shock 70 kDa protein cognate 3 and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase. Forty-seven DAPs related to nutrition metabolism were identified, including the protein digestion, fatty acid metabolism, prostaglandin metabolism, lipid digestion and transportation, i.e. short-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, acyl-CoA desaturase, fatty acid-binding protein, long-chain fatty acid CoA ligase 4, and hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase. These results not only indicate proteins involved in ovarian development and nutrient deposition but also enhance the understanding of the regulatory pathways and physiological processes of crustacean ovarian development.
Topics: Animals; Brachyura; China; Female; Hepatopancreas; Ovary; Proteomics; Vitellogenesis
PubMed: 34333232
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbd.2021.100878 -
Genes Jan 2020Due to their abundance and ability to invade diverse environments, many arthropods have become pests of economic and health concern, especially in urban areas....
Due to their abundance and ability to invade diverse environments, many arthropods have become pests of economic and health concern, especially in urban areas. Transcriptomic analyses of arthropod ovaries have provided insight into life history variation and fecundity, yet there are few studies in spiders despite their diversity within arthropods. Here, we generated a ovarian transcriptome from 10 individuals of the western black widow spider (), a human health pest of high abundance in urban areas, to conduct comparative ovarian transcriptomic analyses. Biological processes enriched for metabolism-specifically purine, and thiamine metabolic pathways linked to oocyte development-were significantly abundant in . Functional and pathway annotations revealed overlap among diverse arachnid ovarian transcriptomes for highly-conserved genes and those linked to fecundity, such as oocyte maturation in vitellogenin and vitelline membrane outer layer proteins, hormones, and hormone receptors required for ovary development, and regulation of fertility-related genes. Comparative studies across arachnids are greatly needed to understand the evolutionary similarities of the spider ovary, and here, the identification of ovarian proteins in provides potential for understanding how increased fecundity is linked to the success of this urban pest.
Topics: Animals; Black Widow Spider; Female; Gene Expression Profiling; Humans; Ovary; Transcriptome; Urban Health
PubMed: 31940922
DOI: 10.3390/genes11010087 -
Veterinary Microbiology Dec 2020Since 2017, duck spleen necrosis caused by new variant duck orthoreovirus (N-DRV) infection had been observed in several provinces in China. This disease retards the...
Since 2017, duck spleen necrosis caused by new variant duck orthoreovirus (N-DRV) infection had been observed in several provinces in China. This disease retards the growth and development of ducks, thereby reducing feed return rate. N-DRV infection causes damage to duck spleen and other immune organs, leading to immunosuppression and susceptibility to other pathogens. In this study, we successfully constructed a breeding duck artificial infection model and found that N-DRV infection can cause pathologic changes, such as ovarian hemorrhage, follicle atrophy, and fallopian tube bleeding in breeding ducks, resulting in significantly reduced fertilization rate and egg hatching rate. Viral RNA was present in egg vitelline membrane, duck embryo, and duckling's spleen samples, as determined through quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Autopsy revealed obvious pathologic changes in the spleen and other organs, although there were no obvious early clinical symptoms observed in ducklings. Sequence distance and phylogenetic analysis confirmed that N-DRV-SD19 re-isolated from the spleen samples of ducklings was consistent with the strain N-DRV-XT18 used for infecting breeding ducks. The findings in this study confirmed that N-DRV can be vertically transmitted through eggs, which provide an important reference for the disease prevention and control.
Topics: Animals; Ducks; Female; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Male; Orthoreovirus, Avian; Ovum; Phylogeny; Poultry Diseases; RNA, Viral; Reoviridae Infections; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Spleen
PubMed: 33059276
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2020.108861 -
Scientific Reports Nov 2023The specific functions and essentiality of type II vitellogenin (Vtg2) in early zebrafish development were investigated in this study. A vtg2-mutant zebrafish line was...
Genomic disturbance of vitellogenin 2 (vtg2) leads to vitellin membrane deficiencies and significant mortalities at early stages of embryonic development in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
The specific functions and essentiality of type II vitellogenin (Vtg2) in early zebrafish development were investigated in this study. A vtg2-mutant zebrafish line was produced and effects of genomic disturbance were observed in F2 females and F3 offspring. No change in vtg2 transcript has been detected, however, Vtg2 abundance in F2 female liver was 5×, and in 1 hpf F3 vtg2-mutant embryos was 3.8× less than Wt (p < 0.05). Fecundity was unaffected while fertilization rate was more than halved in F2 vtg2-mutant females (p < 0.05). Hatching rate was significantly higher in F3 vtg2-mutant embryos in comparison to Wt embryos. Survival rate declined drastically to 29% and 18% at 24 hpf and 20 dpf, respectively, in F3 vtg2-mutant embryos. The introduced mutation caused vitelline membrane deficiencies, significant mortalities at early embryonic stages, and morphological abnormalities in the surviving F3 vtg2-mutant larvae. Overrepresentation of histones, zona pellucida proteins, lectins, and protein degradation related proteins in F3 vtg2-mutant embryos provide evidence to impaired mechanisms involved in vitellin membrane formation. Overall findings imply a potential function of Vtg2 in acquisition of vitellin membrane integrity, among other reproductive functions, and therefore, its essentiality in early zebrafish embryo development.
Topics: Animals; Female; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Embryonic Development; Genomics; Larva; Vitellins; Vitellogenins; Zebrafish
PubMed: 37914813
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46148-2 -
Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton,... 2017Appropriate mechanical tension of the vitelline membrane as the culture substrate for the early chick embryo is frequently reported to be required for successful in...
Appropriate mechanical tension of the vitelline membrane as the culture substrate for the early chick embryo is frequently reported to be required for successful in vitro development. Here we describe a modified device, made of anodized aluminum, for in vitro culture which we used for studies of left-right symmetry breaking with emphasis on morphology and gene expression as readouts. The technique allows for easy, high-throughput tissue handling and provides a suitable tension in a stable and easily reproducible manner proven to be suitable for correct molecular left-right patterning and heart looping after long-term culture.
Topics: Animals; Body Patterning; Chick Embryo; Chickens; Embryo Culture Techniques; Embryonic Development; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Heart; Organogenesis
PubMed: 28809031
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7216-6_21 -
Veterinary Microbiology Sep 2015In 2013, Tembusu virus (TMUV) infection was successively observed on several breeding duck farms in Shandong province, China. Affected ducks showed consistently acute...
In 2013, Tembusu virus (TMUV) infection was successively observed on several breeding duck farms in Shandong province, China. Affected ducks showed consistently acute anorexia, diarrhea and egg production drop. 125 hatching eggs produced by TMUV infected breeding ducks from four duck farms were collected. Among them, 35 hatching eggs were selected randomly from all before incubation for vitelline membrane samples collection. The rest of 90 hatching eggs were incubated routinely. As a result, 16 hatching eggs were found non-embryonated, 28 duck embryos died during incubation and 46 newly hatched ducklings were obtained. Vitelline membranes of non-embryonated hatching eggs, vitelline membrane, brain or liver samples of dead embryos and brain samples of newly hatched ducklings were collected for virus detection. Samples collected from one egg, embryo or duckling were treated as one. Consequently, 18 of 35 (51.43%) hatching eggs, 2 of 16 (12.50%) non-embryonated duck eggs, 17 of 28 (60.71%) dead duck embryos and 5 of 46 (10.87%) newly hatched ducklings were detected positive for TMUV using NS3-based RT-PCR. Overall, 42 of 125 (33.6%) eggs were positive for TMUV. A virus strain, designated as TMUV-SDDE, was isolated from one of these dead duck embryos which were detected TMUV positive. The results of phylogenetic analysis showed that E gene of TMUV-SDDE virus was closely related to other TMUV strains isolated in China during 2010-2013. Pathogenicity studies showed that TMUV-SDDE strain was virulent to ducklings. This is the first report that TMUV is isolated from duck embryos. The findings provide evidence of possible vertical transmission of TMUV from breeding ducks to ducklings.
Topics: Animals; DNA, Complementary; Ducks; Female; Flavivirus; Flavivirus Infections; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Ovum; Phylogeny; Poultry Diseases; RNA, Viral; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms
PubMed: 26187679
DOI: 10.1016/j.vetmic.2015.06.004